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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffAlthough there's no way to prevent porphyria, if you have the disease, taking the following steps may help prevent symptoms:
- Avoid medications known to trigger acute attacks. (Ask your doctor for a list of safe and unsafe drugs.)
- Don't use alcohol or illicit drugs.
- Avoid fasting and dieting that involves severe calorie restriction.
- Don't smoke.
- Minimize sun exposure.
- When you're outdoors, wear protective clothing and use sunscreen.
- Treat infections and other illnesses promptly.
- Reduce stress.
Because porphyria is an inherited disorder, your siblings and other family members should consider undergoing genetic testing to determine if they have the disease.
- Porphyria. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghome (NDDIC). http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/porphyria/. Accessed March 24, 2009.
- Porphyria. Genetics Home Reference. Accessed March 24, 2009.
- Sassa S, et al. Understanding the porphyrias. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 24, 2009.
- Learning about porphyria. National Human Genome Research Institute. http://www.genome.gov/pfv.cfm?pageID=19016728. Accessed March 24, 2009.
- About porphyria. American Porphyria Foundation. http://www.porphyriafoundation.com/. Accessed March 24, 2009.
- Anstey AV, et al. Liver diseases in erythropoietic protoporphyria: Insights and implications for management. Gut. 2007;56:1009.
- Sassa S, et al. Porphyria cutanea tarda, hepatoerythropoietic porphyria, and toxic porphyria. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 2, 2009.
